The weather may be heating up this week, but Lake Jacksonville officials are thinking about cool weather sports over the next few weeks.

The 2023 Lake Jacksonville Archery Deer and Duck Blind Drawing will be held in mid-August at the Nichols Park Pavilion. Jacksonville Lakes Superintendent Brett Gilbreth says about this time every two years, the Lakes Department holds the drawing for 21 deer sites and 13 duck blind sites on Lake Jacksonville.

The drawings will be held on Wednesday, August 16^th, and Gilbreth says there are some prerequisites for anyone who wants to show apply. “For the deer hunters, you must be 18 years of age or older and possess a valid driver’s license or state ID. You must have a 2022 or 2023 hunting license with the habitat stamp and be a Morgan County resident.

For the duck blind drawings you have to be 18 or older, possess a valid driver’s license or state ID, a FOID card, and a 2022 or 23 hunting license with waterfowl state and federal stamps and you must be a resident of Jacksonville to apply for it.”

Gilbreth says there is no longer a buddy or courtesy ballot. Anyone who wishes to enter one of the draws must be present that evening and every applicant must bring the required items in order to register.

“We’ll start the duck drawing around six PM. Sometimes it gets pushed back depending on how many customers we have. We want to make sure everyone gets registered. Then as soon as that’s wrapped up we will start the deer drawing.

And it’s the same process, we put everybody’s entry card into a hopper and mix it up. Then it’s basically whoever we pull out, we put it right on the table for everyone to see and it’s first come first serve, so as soon as they get picked they get to pick what site they want.”

Gilbreth says the sites are all located around Lake Jacksonville and applicants will be able to get an idea of each site the night of the draws. “They span from gate one, which is down by the spillway, and mainly on the south side of the lake. We will have maps the evening of the draw of each place with the boundaries.

We’ll provide stickers for each of the people so that way their deer stand is registered with us and that way when it comes to the off-season, and if something happens that we’d need to get ahold of them, we can figure out who owns that particular stand.”

The draws will be held at the Nichols Park Pavilion on Wednesday, August 16^th. Doors open at 5:00 with the duck blind draw beginning at 6:00 and the deer stand draw at 6:30.

For more information, contact the Jacksonville Lakes Department at 217-479-4644.

A pair of early Monday morning fires in Jacksonville have been deemed suspicious in nature, but officials don’t believe they are connected to Sunday morning’s arson on North Church Street.

Crews from the Jacksonville and South Jacksonville Fire Departments responded to a residential fire at approximately 1:30 Monday morning at 1011 Hackett Avenue. The single-story house was fully involved with fire and a total loss.

While winding down operations on Hackett, crews were called to a fire at the former Star Lite Motel located at 1910 West Morton Avenue just after 3:00 am.

Jacksonville Fire Chief Doug Sills said this afternoon that he was not sure if utilities were active at the Hackett Avenue house, however, it was known to be vacant by city officials. He says power was active to the meter box at the Star Lite Motel, however, it was not running to the rest of the facility.

Sills says both incidents have been deemed suspicious albeit, individually. “Of course, the investigation is still ongoing, but at this time in the preliminary investigation, we do not believe the three incidents are interrelated.

Now the 503 North Church we believe is related to what is going on in that block. In working with [Police] Chief Mefford and Doug Thompson over there, I think we’ve got a pretty good plan moving forward.

Bobbie Jo with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, I mean he’s showing due diligence. We’re dotting Is and crossing Ts, gathering evidence, sending it to the lab, just beating the bushes and I think sooner or later something will turn on it.”

The fires occurred less than 24 hours after a two-story house located at 503 North Church was involved with fire early Sunday morning. That fire is suspected to be an arson and also remains under investigation.

Sills says at this time, both of the Monday morning fires appear to be possibly caused in connection with squatter activity, but it is too early in the investigation to fully determine the causes.

Crews were on the scene of the Hackett Avenue fire for approximately three and a half hours, and at the Star Lite Motel for approximately four hours due to the overlap in calls and availability of personnel.

Sills says even though these fires are not considered at this time to be related to the recent rash of fires in the vicinity of North Church Street, or that have occurred farther in the northeast end over the past two years, they are all suspicious and anyone with information is asked to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott, and Cass Counties.

Tips can be made anonymously by calling 217-243-7300, online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com, or texting the tip to the word “CRIMES”, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout”.

Jacksonville and South Jacksonville firefighters battled two separate blazes early this morning.

Crews were called to a structure fire in a single-story house in the 1000 block of Hackett Avenue early Monday morning.

Jacksonville Fire Chief Doug Sills says as crews began mop-up operations there, a second call came in of a structure fire on the opposite end of the city.

“Crews were dispatched up to Hackett Avenue sometime around 1:30 this morning on a confirmed structure fire up there. While operating at that incident, another incident [call] came in a little after 3:00 am down here on the Star Lite Motel. So currently we’ve got two active scenes going at this hour.”

Sills says it’s too early to assume a cause of either incident. He says both are being investigated. “We’ve got the State Fire Marshall [investigator] on Hackett Avenue right now, he’s looking at that location. We’re going to touch base with him and get him down here to take a look at this one also once things get cooled down.”

The fire in the Star Lite Motel, located at 1910 West Morton Avenue, was centered in the northeast corner of the complex and burned in both directions to the south and the west. The Hackett Avenue residence is a total loss. No injuries were reported in either fire as of press time.

The overnight fires made for three in a 24-hour span after a vacant house in the 500 block of North Church Street burned early Sunday morning in what is believed to be another arson in the northeast end of the city.

This is a developing story. We will bring you more information when it becomes available.

A little more than a week after the most recent suspicious vacant house fire occurred in Jacksonville, another in the same area burned early Sunday morning.

The Jacksonville and South Jacksonville Fire Departments were dispatched to a confirmed structure fire in a two-story house at 503 North Church Street at 5:24 am Sunday.

Jacksonville Fire Department Chief Doug Sills says the first floor had heavy fire involvement adjacent to the main entryway when crews arrived on scene. The blaze caused significant damage to both the first and second floors of the house.

Sills says although utilities were hooked up to the structure, this fire fits the pattern of what has become an ongoing string of arson fires in the north and eastern section of the city.

“Currently we have notified the State Fire Marshal because this was a vacant structure but it appears to be under remodeling. We had found evidence there again on scene that has led us to believe this is another arson case in this neighborhood.”

Sills says crews were on scene for approximately two hours this morning and no one was injured in the blaze. It’s the latest in a string of suspicious fires dating back to early 2021.

Just over one week ago on Friday, July 14^th, firefighters were called to what is commonly referred to as the old Capps House, which sits in eye shot of this morning’s fire at 606 North Church Street. It was the second time in as many months that house caught fire via suspicious means.

Earlier in April, a house one block over on Fayette Street burned for the second time and in September of last year, another vacant house on Fayette burned. Less than two months before that, a vacant house on West Lafayette was heavily damaged by fire just around the corner from the Capps House. In each case, utilities had been shut off long before the fires occurred.

Sills says they are still asking residents to be vigilant and keep a close eye on what goes on in their neighborhood. “Particularly in this area if they have a vacant house or they own a house that is currently vacant, take some steps to secure the structure and keep an eye on it a little more closely. If you’re an out of town owner, maybe contact the neighbors.

Almost get a neighborhood watch going. Look for suspicious activity, people who are in the neighborhood who don’t usually belong there. Again, you know, report all those tips to Crime Stoppers and maybe we can get these things solved and stopped.”

Sills says he’s concerned that someone will eventually be hurt or worse if these arsons continue. “Our fear is that this is going to keep escalating and we hope it doesn’t end with a tragedy. Because this morning this house had an occupied structure to the north side in close proximity. The crews did a great job of containing it to the structure of origin. No damage to the house next door. But there again, it is an occupied structure and things can get out of hand pretty quick, and we don’t want to see anyone get hurt with these type of incidents.

But, it’s going to progress to a point where somebody is going to get hurt, whether it’s one of our guys making entry into one of these vacant structures, or a neighbor, or possibly somebody in a structure that they believe is vacant. It’s just gonna,….it’s getting deadly.”

Anyone with any information on this or any of the other suspicious fires in Jacksonville over the last two years is asked to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott, and Cass Counties by calling 217-243-7300, online at morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com, or texting the tip to the word “CRIMES”, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout”.

A Jacksonville Funeral Director was honored with recognition from an area service organization.

During the meeting of the Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club on Tuesday, visiting Rotary District Governor Neal Miller presented Brittany Nickel with a pin and certificate naming her as a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

According to the announcement by the Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club this morning, the Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation.

The award is named in honor of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, and is considered one of the highest awards for individual Rotarians.

The Rotary Foundation has awarded grants in the areas of basic education and literacy, community economic development, disease prevention and treatment, and maternal and child health, along with other causes. In 2021-22 the foundation issued grants to these areas of focus amounting to $76.9 million.

Brittany Nickel lives north of Jacksonville with her husband Jeremy and her young son. She is the managing director of Buchanan & Cody Funeral Home in Jacksonville.

The tentative trial date for a rural Morgan County man accused of first-degree murder survived a pretrial conference this afternoon.

34-year-old Kenneth J. Acree appeared in Morgan County Court hearing this afternoon. Acree faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death in the shooting death of 32-year-old Robert Schofield in October 2020 in rural Morgan County.

Defense attorney W. Scott Hanken this afternoon requested another pre-trial hearing before the trial begins in September. Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll says both sides need more time to discuss points of the case however, he does not believe it will delay the start of the trial.

“It had been previously set for September 18^th for trial, maybe a jury trial, maybe a bench trial, we’ll find out probably at the next pretrial date. That date remains set however there is another pretrial date between now and then.

Between now and the next pretrial, the attorneys will get together and work out some stipulations for foundational issues where we can. On August 25^th we envision any agreements that we cannot come to we would then bring to the court’s attention and address them either at that court date or another court date prior to September 18^th.”

During his last appearance in May, Acree was leaning toward requesting a bench trial over a jury trial. Hanken did not indicate during today’s hearing if a filing for a bench trial was forthcoming or not.

Hanken told the court that previous questions he had concerning if co-defendants in the case would testify for the state in exchange for immunity had been satisfactorily answered.

Ken Acree’s wife, 36-year-old Laura C. Acree, and the decedent’s wife, 29-year-old Sara M. Schofield are each facing charges of concealment of a homicidal death in the case.

Noll says it’s possible either or both could be called to testify, but nothing is set at this time. “We obviously have a list of individuals that may testify at this trial. Two of them are individuals that have been charged as well as co-defendants in the concealment of a homicide charge at least. Those two individuals are on our witness list so it is possible that they would be called to testify at this trial.”

Acree has filed an affirmative defense in the case pleading self-defense in the shooting death of Schofield. He is next due in court for a final pretrial hearing on August 25^th at 1:30 pm. The trial remains scheduled to begin on September 18^th.

Crime Stoppers of Morgan, Scott & Cass Counties are requesting information to assist the Jacksonville Police Department in their investigation of a recent theft.

Sometime between 3:30 and 4:40 pm on Thursday of last week, unknown person(s) removed packages from a residence in the 500 block of Caldwell Street. Among the items taken were toddler toys and a Shark robot vacuum cleaner.

The police are asking that anyone who has information concerning this incident, or any other crimes within the three-county area, submit an anonymous tip online by going to www.morganscottcrimestoppers.webs.com and clicking the leave a tip button on the home page or calling Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.

Tips may also be submitted anonymously by texting to the word CRIMES, that’s the number 274637. The first word of the text tip must be “payout” Crime Stoppers says if your tip leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward.

An investigation by Jacksonville Police into a hit-and-run incident from Sunday led to the arrest of a Greene County man on Monday.

Police dispatch received a call just before 8:00 AM Sunday from a resident near the intersection of East Chambers and South Main Street who reported vehicle parts in the roadway and a downed street sign.

Police found that a vehicle had been traveling southbound on South Main Street when it left the roadway and struck a speed limit sign and a utility pole.

A short time later, officers located the alleged vehicle, which sustained damage to the front passenger side bumper, hood, fender, and tire. Car parts previously located at the scene of the crash had VIN numbers that matched the vehicle.

On Monday, Jacksonville police arrested 40-year-old Lyndell E. Taylor of Roodhouse for failure to give information after striking unattended other property. Taylor was taken into custody at approximately 10:00 am Monday at the Jacksonville Police Department on West Douglas Avenue. He has since been released from the Morgan County Jail.

A Jacksonville man was seriously injured after he was struck by a train early this morning. Jacksonville Rescue, LifeStar EMS, and Jacksonville Police were dispatched to the vicinity of East Independence and Hockenhull Street at 5:47 am Tuesday for a report of a man that had been hit by a passing train.

Officials with the Jacksonville Police Department confirmed to WLDS News late this morning, that a 41-year-old man from Jacksonville was struck by a Burlington Northern train in the section of tracks between East Walnut Street and East Independence Avenue, according to preliminary reports.

The man reportedly sustained serious injuries and was transported to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital before being airlifted to an area hospital in Springfield. Police officials believe the initial call to 911 was made by someone with Burlington Northern, although that was not confirmed in the initial reports.

Jacksonville Police were on the scene of the accident for approximately two hours this morning.

Police officials say that railroad officials typically handle the full investigation into incidents such as this when someone is injured by a train. A media request for more information from Burlington Northern Rail Road has not been returned as of press time.

A Macoupin County woman who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter of a child was sentenced to prison time this morning.

33-year-old Ashley N. Bottoms of Carlinville pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter as an open plea in Macoupin County Court in early April.

Bottoms was arrested for causing the death of a 3-year-old male child after a report was made at the Lichfield Fire Station on October 20th, that a minor child was in distress and moments later determined the child was deceased.

Charging documents allege that earlier that day, Bottoms was breaking up a fight between two juveniles at her Carlinville home, and threw the three-year boy, later identified as Hunter Lee Drew, against a half wall where his head struck a ledge, leading to blunt force trauma and a brain bleed. According to a report by the Springfield State Journal-Register, Bottoms was the girlfriend of the boy’s father.

The charging documents are reported as saying that Bottoms observed that the boy was “in distress” from the head injury but did not seek medical care for him, instead driving him around in a vehicle for three hours.

According to a report by WICS, Bottoms was sentenced to serve 11 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections this morning by Macoupin County Associate Judge Joshua Meyer.

Bottoms faced between 3 and 14 years in prison on the charge.